Electronic heart
by verifiaman
Summary: Sometimes, what you start with is not what you finish with. A megaman zero fanfic done as a collaboration between me and anonymous author


**Electronic Heart**

['Sometimes, what you start with is not what you finish with.']

Everything was beeping.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, as she found herself roused from stasis. It wasn't the worst of feelings, since she at least was still inside her host's body… the only problem, this time, was that she felt nervous. She had been feeling like that for a good while, actually… but now, after she had heard that she and the rest of them were going to what was probably the most dangerous mission they'd be in, she couldn't help it; she was nervous.

After all… they weren't just going back to a scarier place than the one called Neo Arcadia, from where she had been rescued by the Resistance, but it seemed the fight was going to be worse… much worse than before. Even the fight against that man, Phantom… it seemed to be much deeper than that one, even though she, like the others, were.

Zero… that name was one she thought of with fervor, remembering how he had saved her. It hadn't been so long ago… but it sure felt like it, and she appreciated it. She had found it strange that he hadn't chosen to use her abilities yet… but well, she didn't mind, really. Better stay alive and healthy, and being able to watch Zero fight, than sacrificing herself permanently.

As of now, she thought they were probably coming close to whatever 'end' this mission was coming, according to the others. It had been a lot of time since the mission had started, enough that her short nap, started a few minutes after the mission, was over before she was finished. Some of the others seemed worried, even if she didn't understand why exactly… but then, eventually, a sound similar to shutters opening and closing sounded around them, and Zero's systems indicated they were in a large room now.

On the other side of the room, they could see the Elf-devouring bastard, Omega, clad in that humongous golden armor. She had been witness to his transformation, so much time ago… and she had to admit again, he was frightening. The huge, golden armor he wore, the two gauntlets that hovered by his sides, acting like hands, the large crimson saber in his back… the blue designs through his gray body, pulsing with energy, and yet… for some reason, she thought he looked… familiar. She didn't know why exactly, but it was just…

"Is that Omega?" one of the few Cyber-Elves who had joined them when they were in the previous area asked, and she turned to look at him. He was among the last to join them, a small, round clock-shaped male Cyber-Elf, with a red body and yellow bells sprouting to the sides. The two clock hands looked like a moustache, but they looked more masculine than of some of the others.

One of the blue ninja Cyber-Elves, who had been there for longer than either of them, nodded. "Yes… that is Omega, alright. He was the one who was in that missile, wasn't he?" he replied, turning towards his 'twin', who held a sheathed sword on his hands.

"Indeed he was. It is hard to believe that people like miss Ciel are from the same species as the man who created him…" he grunted, patting the hilt of his sword. The look both of them gave the abomination was deeply enraged…

She squealed, when she felt the energies coming from them. Those two… even while they were in that 'restrained' space of theirs, they still could emit Cyber-Elf energies, something most of them couldn't. The electric blue, bit-shaped electronic wings they had… indicators of the 'Hacker' variety, and yet, it was unnerving.

To the sides, a few other Cyber-Elves were glaring at the creature as well, their energies flaring up. The small female began to take scared steps back, hiding behind another of the newcomers, a short and thickly-built green female Cyber-Elf, her covering being a jumpsuit. Three patches of green hair emerged from the top and sides of her head, shaped like meatballs, and she had a green nurse hat. On her hands, a thick syringe with the Red Cross symbol attached to it was held, though barely, due to her companion's swift movements.

This called the attention of another Cyber-Elf. "Enough of that."

One of the blue Cyber-Elves turned towards him, glaring. "Oh, who are _you_ to tell us that, huh?! We've been wanting to finally get our chance to give that bastard some what-fors at last, and now you tell us to calm down?!" he snapped, gripping the twin knives in his hands. The Cyber-Elf stepped closer, and the odd lighting that somehow illuminated their Cyberspace 'room' seemed to focus on him, somewhat surprising her.

Like the other mature Cyber-Elves, this one was not garbed in a single outfit, although his' looked rather odd; it wore a single red jumpsuit, with the torso, arms, and head clad in metallic armor. A Cyber-Elf symbol stood on his chest, and from behind, two blue wings similar to the ninja Hackers remained still. A flowing red wave of hair trailed after him, and he had a two-bladed sword in his left hand, with buttons on each blade.

"You are frightening the others. I suggest you all stop yourselves, before more trouble comes," he alerted the other Cyber-Elves, who glared at him with some spite.

"Why, you… why do you keep bossing us around?!" one of the shorter Cyber-Elves snapped at him, his own knives looking ready to attack. However, two loud noises came, as two other Cyber-Elves surrounded them. One of them, a large, fluorescent slime, allowed its long and thick tail to keep the ninja surrounded, while the second one, about the same height as the others, was a furry mammal with spots covering his fur, a feline tail stretched in a ready position. Both of them had the same symbols, but their wings were green and similar to lamps, unlike the others.

A glaring match started afterwards, the ninja Cyber-Elves looking from the red-garbed Cyber-Elf to the slime to the mammal. Eventually, one of them, who also held a sheathed sword, lowered it and took a less offensive position.

"We shouldn't be fighting each other. Omega is out there, and master Zero needs as much help as he can get. Cottus, Malphas, let us make contact with him and offer our power as an aid," he said, motioning towards two of the blue ninja Cyber-Elves. With a single jump, they took to the air, approaching the 'ceiling' – in reality, a portal to Zero's systems, which would allow them a chance to possibly help him.

The knight Cyber-Elf sighed, as he lowered his two-bladed sword. "Those three… what a mess they are," he muttered, turning towards the two girls. "Are you okay?"

While the green Nurse Elf gave a 'hmph' full of contempt, she slowly hovered from behind her, not managing to face the knight Cyber-Elf. "Y-yes, sir… we're fine. Those three, they just…" she replied, quietly. He looked her over, before turning towards the others.

"Balette, Putite, the two of you can calm down. I don't suppose they'll be much of a problem anymore…" he said, before walking away. "We had better keep our eye on Omega, however. Master Zero may need our aid in this battle… and even those of us who cannot do much should be ready to do whatever it takes."

The way he said it… it was very serious and, indeed, he looked fairly grim. The third newcomer approached her, a small red Cyber-Elf with a capsule in her hands and a nurse hat, pink heart-shaped wings on the back of her body.

"Um… is he okay?" she asked the other Cyber-Elf, who nodded.

"Yeah, he is. He's just a Knight Cyber-Elf… that's why he's feeling that way." The red Nurse Elf blinked, not knowing what to say, so she went on. "The Knight Cyber-Elves are meant to fight against enemies that Zero may find in his missions, sacrificing their energies to kill all they find. Against Reploids, however, they're too weak… Hammer Cyber-Elves would be better, but Zero has never used them as far as we've seen him."

The red Nurse Elf looked at her in awe, before turning around. Three large, golden-armored Cyber-Elves were standing there, waiting for a command, their massive weapons – a mace, a hammer, and an axe – set down and ready. However, inside their helmets, it was obvious that their feelings were those of, simultaneously, worry and resignation. Worry, for they had not been used on any foe so far… and resignation, since that had been precisely what had happened.

"Them?" she asked, before turning back towards the other. "They look kinda scary to me… but they also are still here. Why?"

"Don't you know anything?" the green Nurse Elf asked, in a grumpy voice, and they turned towards her. "Hammer Cyber-Elves are only good to bash things, and despite this guy's stature, I'm pretty sure he's only wanting to see what that giant will do, before he needs to smash it to bits. Who knows, maybe he'll use them if he can't hurt him enough!"

"I don't know…" a small, bee-shaped Cyber-Elf flied by, the green wings indicating its Animal state. "Zero has never used any Cyber-Elf in the past month… and research indicates that he has never used them, either. That is strange, I know, but…"

"Eh?!" the green Nurse Elf asked, surprised. "That's so weird! Why didn't he use your powers yet?" The other Cyber-Elf shrugged, not sure of how to answer her question. Before she could rant on, however, sparks flew around them, surprising the Cyber-Elves.

The red Nurse Elf who had approached them screeched, hugging the other Cyber-Elf, and nearly squeezing the lifedata out of her. "AAAAHHH! WHAT IS GOING ON?!" she screamed, as both of them fell to the ground, sparks flying around and tremors now shaking the room.

"It-it seems master Zero has been harmed!" another of the red Nurse Elves stated, grunting as she tried to keep herself off the cybernetic floor. "Very severely, for the damage to have been felt even here… Omega must have struck him!"

"But how?" the small Knight Cyber-Elf, who had joined them just as soon as the other two, asked her. "Master Zero has the Ultimate Boots, the Charge Helmet, twelve EX Skills, and he surely has fought against more enemies than we can possibly count! How can he have taken a heavy hit?!"

"Master Zero may be the strongest man in the world…" one of the remaining ninja Cyber-Elves reckoned, as he stood his ground despite the electricity around them. "But even so, his reflexes can only go so far. Without our aid, he simply lacks the ability to detect how an attack will come… he can't fight against the bastard Omega without a handicap like this!"

"But the bastard has the power of the ultimate Cyber-Elf with him!" a different Cyber-Elf, a small box with the blue wings and a very small body under its square head. She had come to know this particular Cyber-Elf to be a female, but she didn't really remember her name – not that she had a chance to remember now, what with this attack. "The Dark Elf… their powers combined are absurd! We can't possibly hope to win without our help!"

Despite the combination of pain and distress she was feeling, however… the small Cyber-Elf struggled to get up, despite the flare of electricity that had just ran through the floor around them, and pulled the red Nurse Elf off her, panting somewhat.

"No… Zero can do this…" she whispered, more to herself than to anyone else, but the Cyber-Elf to her side managed to pick it up regardless.

"You… you really think so?" she asked, receiving a blink in response. "You… think master Zero can stop him, without our help?"

She took a breath, noticing the sparks had finally died down, before nodding. "Y-yes… I have faith in Zero's abilities, and I know he can do this… he's defeated Neo Arcadia twice already, and has felled enemies that even we consider myths… he is capable of doing this, and he _will_ stop Omega again!"

"You sound awfully confident…" a rather sarcastic voice sounded from behind, and as she turned, a monkey-like Cyber-Elf with green wings was looking right at her face. "For a shrimp, you sure believe that master Zero will succeed. But what's with calling him just 'Zero', anyway? He's our master, we owe him our lives, and so we should respect him for that. Stop acting so foolishly and start respecting him, as well."

The way he spoke was irritating, as if the fully-matured Cyber-Elf was superior to her for some unknown reason. "I can respect Zero without having to call him 'master' all the time, unless you forgot he has told several of us already to stop referring to him as such?" she snapped back, annoyed by his attitude.

"Why, you!" he snarled, angry. "What kind of Cyber-Elf do you think you are, nurse? Show those who are superior to you some respect, or-" Whatever threat he was going to do to her, it was interrupted by a blinding flash of light coming from outside, and the Cyber-Elves turned towards the large 'screen' that showed them the outside.

In there, they saw the transmutation of Omega's body, from a hulking, yet still reasonable large demon Reploid, into a monstrosity of titanic proportions, to the point where the ground they were standing upon… it simply could not resist the brunt of his weight and size, and collapsed underneath him, leaving only half of the room they were inside for Zero to maneuver. Three heads crowned the being, both of the additional ones looking awfully familiar… as did the two weapons he bore.

On the left side of the body, colored mainly in blue, the eyes that stared at them, coldly, were the same as Copy X… down to the helmet's shape and the lack of feelings. The huge Buster he bore had a muzzle with a diameter as large as Zero's height, and it was preparing to charge again. The central body was white, looking like a mix between the Dark Elf's physical form and Omega's body, with three horns sprouting from its head – one forward, two to the sides, in the same colors as each part.

The scariest part, however, was the right side… which looked too much like Zero's body, holding a gigantic version of the sword Omega previously held. The shape also reminded them of Zero's very own Z-Saber, and the idea of facing that… even she felt a creeping chill going down her virtual spine, and she took a step back.

"That bastard…" she muttered, but she didn't finish her thoughts… as tears would be falling down her face, if she were in true physical form, she would have snapped about how he was trying to use mind games on them, and how it wouldn't work on her… but her emotions were too aflame, even in this half-corporeal state, and she would rather be able to let these calm down… but why did seeing that make her feel so awful?

The battle outside started not long after, with the Cyber-Elves trying to pay as much attention to it as possible now. They were leaving the dialogue for later, watching Zero dodge a humongous swipe, or jump over a charged plasma blast… evading a series of plasma shots that pursued him, or lasers fired from the eyes of the beast…

And yet, they could feel the damage piling up, regardless; even if Zero was, indeed, skilled enough to dodge most of the attacks, he was being worn down, even if he was doing even more damage to his opponent than he was receiving. It seemed to be a battle of attrition, mostly… but eventually, Zero seemed to get the upper hand, after draining a Sub-Tank. Slash after slash, shot after shot, it was eventually his victory that came… and the Cyber-Elves were all but ecstatic, seeing the explosions that were coming from the demon Reploid's body. The red nurse Cyber-Elf from before hugged her tightly again, crying out in joy, and even she couldn't help but smile back as well.

"Zero…" she whispered, almost ready to come out and speak to him, even from there… but a sudden rumbling, that had managed to affect their room as well, turned the joy into distress.

"What's going on?" one of the other Cyber-Elves asked, a female this time, even if she had no idea of what that one was. Her mind was shaken too, and she could barely stand… the rumbling's effect had been too much for them. Slowly, she forced herself to stand up, and look at the screen…

"What the FUCK?!"

Even if she didn't manage to see who it was who said that, she had a feeling she'd agree with that Elf in a millisecond. As the explosion was clearing, a new form was revealed… a horribly familiar, yet still disgusting form.

"No… that can't be…" she whispered, fearful now. White hair… crimson and black armor… pale, cruel face… no matter how much she tried to fight it, pain was coursing through her heart, even as that bastard Weil was telling everyone the truth behind them. "That… that can't be Zero…"

"Were… were we all used by a fake?!" the monkey Cyber-Elf snapped, irate. "I can't believe this!"

"…so, he's not the true hero?" the last of the ninja Cyber-Elves asked, surprising everyone. "So we were all taken by a fake who probably is just as bad a person as that bastard, if he kept telling everyone that lie?!"

This seemed to continue on with the others, as more of the Cyber-Elves seemed to be sharing the same opinion… but despite that, she couldn't agree with them. She didn't believe Weil… she couldn't; he was saying that Zero, one of the greatest people in the world, one of the saviors of the Resistance… that he was no better than they, because he was just a clone?

That was… that simply was…

For a moment, she thought about remaining silent… but then, the knight Cyber-Elf who had first spoken, recently, seemed to sigh and lower his own weapon, a sad look passing through his eyes. That was too much for her to bear… and so, before she realized it, she was screaming.

"What is WRONG with you?!" she asked them, clenching her small fists. "I can't believe the nerve of you all, in believing a lie that was made by the creator of the Elf-devouring bastard?! Are all of you so stupid and naïve, that you'll fall for the first lie that he tells you lot?! Is that what all of you were reduced to?!"

Seeing the lot of Cyber-Elves was stunned, all eyes on her, made her feel more nervous and aware that she might be breaching a barrier… but she didn't care; right now, she just had to keep on talking. "I've spent the past few weeks living here, after Zero came to help us all… and I've heard all sorts of comments about him; you've complained about not being used, about how strange Zero is, about how he has struggled so hard against foes he has no chance to beat without your help… do _any_ of you ever feel happy with _anything_ Zero has ever done?! Do you ever feel pride of knowing that you are being protected by someone who is doing his best to save us all, no matter the cost, even going out of his way and risking his mission to fight someone like that scary guy, Phantom, just because one of us thought there was something weird with the Neo Arcadian Cyberspace doors? _Do you_?"

Taking a breath, she glared at them again. "I may not be the most powerful… the best… or even the most desired of Cyber-Elves…" she said, trying to keep her stead as long as possible; she couldn't let herself down now… "But even so, I… I still am glad that Zero has dedicated his time to take care of me, allowing me and all of us to stay with him in this chamber, free from the confines of the Disks we were imprisoned in before, and allowing us to have Energen Crystals so we can grow stronger, even if he doesn't need our help… he still cared about us, and did his best so that we wouldn't have to suffer further! Why do you want to suffer so much?!"

This made the knight Cyber-Elf truly turn towards her, his eyes showing an emotion she hadn't seen yet… at least, not directed at her. She wanted to look at him more, to try and understand what that was… yet, the more she felt his eyes were focused on her, the more she did not want to face him. She tried to look towards any of the other Cyber-Elves, anyone else, anyone _at all_…

"I… I don't care what any of you say, anymore. If you all want to curse at Zero… want to ignore all the good things he and the Resistance have done for us… then I don't care. I'm going to keep my faith on Zero… as I know he'll win for us. I know it." With that, she started to walk away, ignoring everyone else, just trying to head where she knew they couldn't reach her.

She never had the chance, however.

"Wait."

That single word was more powerful than any replies or counters she had expected, as she froze in her steps. Behind her, she could hear the shuffling of his movements, as he was standing up and lowering his weapon. Her unneeded breath was stilled, as she tried to not let her nerves affect her… and failed considerably.

"You are right… we were wrong in doubting master Zero, since he is the one who rescued us." The knight Cyber-Elf's voice was calm and definitive… and the other Cyber-Elves were looking at him now, as well. "Master Zero… it shouldn't matter whether he is the original Reploid or not, since either way, he is the savior of our race, and the person who has been taking care of us ever since we were released from those disks. To betray him now… that'd be beyond cowardice."

Footsteps approached her now, quiet and calmly, and she couldn't help but turn around. The knight Cyber-Elf was now just behind her, kneeling down and putting his weapon on his front, similarly to a bow. While he did not say anything, she knew it was an important thing to him, probably coming from his programming, and she had no idea how to respond to it.

Before she could, however, an alarm started to ring, even as the room started to shake and tremble again. _'[WARNING: Energy amount decreasing at a rapid pace. Medical treatment required]'_ the warning blared, over the screen, and they saw Omega hopping onto the air, twice, and doing a spin in mid-air. Various energy blades flew from the bastard's Z-Saber, which he had been using since the start of the battle, and it seemed Zero had barely managed to dodge it. _'[Remaining energy: 12%. Damage to armor: 40%. Damage to Weapon Technique Learning System: 40%. Damage to Weapon Systems: Z-Buster 19%, Z-Saber 27%, Shield Boomerang 65%, Recoil Rod 53%. Extended damage to weapon systems may cause permanent damage or destruction.]'_

That was a bigger trouble for them now, as Zero was obviously tired, while the bastard wasn't even sweating. They heard the sound of his hand clenching the Z-Saber, the grunt he managed to say, as his last Sub-Tank was drained and his energy was recovered… but the only thing that was healed was his energy.

The battle raged on, and they were almost frozen in place, as they watched Omega continue his berserk attacks onto Zero, slashing and shooting him with both his weapons. Zero was trying his best to defeat him, they knew… but now their hope was slowly diminishing, as more warning messages came to their systems. When Zero tried to change into the Recoil Rod, hoping to catch the bastard off-guard, he barely had time to strike against the energy wave that pursued him… only for his own weapon to lose the battle and shatter, forcing Zero back to the ground and unable to block the blast from colliding against him.

This only pleased Omega more, as the bastard's grin indicated. He went on for another attack, which they realized as being that one where he'd smash onto the ground, creating the pillars of light around his body. Cries of fear came from the Cyber-Elves, while she herself had lost her speech, and Zero barely managed to dodge away from that strike.

"Bastard…" he cursed, but the slur in his voice worried him; a quick scan indicated that he had taken some damage on his vocal processors, and there was some fluid build-up in his throat. _'Damned bastard… Cerveau spent so much time building that weapon, and he shattered it in one strike… that definitely means I'll kill him!'_

Shortly after, he saw Omega coming in close, pulling out his Z-Saber again for a dash attack, and Zero decided to stop him from hitting. Dropping the smoking remains of the Recoil Rod, he switched to his Shield Boomerang, from its position on his left arm. Omega just grinned, before slashing at him… again, and again, and again, not leaving Zero a good position for a counter-attack, but he kept on blocking. All he had to do is wait for the charge to be finished, and then he'd slice the bastard in half, without any troubles-

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Omega suddenly laughed, before a powerful slash collided against the Shield Boomerang, splitting it to pieces. Zero's eyes widened, before the slash's strength sent him flying backwards, his legs being struck by another attack.

"NO!" she cried out, as the new warning messages came to their screen. _'[Recoil Rod activity terminated. Shield Boomerang activity terminated. Damage to left arm: 45%. Damage to legs: 56%. Foot Chip Systems deactivated; resetting to Regular System. Remaining energy: 65%.]'_

"That bastard… he managed to destroy _both_ of master Zero's weapons, in such a short amount of time?!" the leader of the ninja Cyber-Elves snapped, as they heard the approaching footsteps of the bastard. "And even the boots master Zero has are now out of power… that just isn't fair! Master Zero ought to have allowed us to help him… he needs our help!"

"No…" she whispered, sniffing non-existent tears, "he is going to make it… he will win…" The Cyber-Elf glared at her, but as they returned their attention to the screen, they saw Zero finding a breach in Omega's defenses, immediately attacking him with fervor. Slash after slash after slash came… but the reflection of his eyes, visible on the metallic surfaces of his opponent, indicated a mix between hatred and coldness.

"I don't care if you're my real body or not… I'm not going to lose to you!" he snapped, before jumping onto the air, switching for the Thunder Body Chip. That next strike was sure to leave him stunned at the very least, and if he could hit his energy core…

Omega, however, managed to recover in time, immediately pointing his Buster arm up and at Zero's head. The single shot he fired wasn't very strong… it was a single plasma bullet, not even remotely powerful enough to harm Zero seriously.

But Zero did not need to be harmed seriously, in these conditions.

The shot collided against his helmet, barely avoiding the crystal in his forehead, and caused an explosion to course through both his body and the Cyberspace room the Cyber-Elves were in. As he cried out in pain, falling on the ground weakly, even louder warning messages appeared in his systems, forcing him to look at them.

_'[Head Chip Systems deactivated; resetting to Regular System. Body Chip Systems deactivated; Elemental Chip data lost. Weapon Technique Learning System deactivated; EX Skill data lost. Remaining energy: 64%.]'_ were the multiple alerts, and while the Cyber-Elves were stunned at the severe losses, she fell down to her knees, in disbelief.

"Zero…" she whispered, closing her eyes. The energy counter started to go down again, however, and they heard the sounds of that frantic slash attack again… as Zero was being mercilessly pummeled by Omega, his systems all approaching shutdown state, and even the Cyber-Elves felt the lights around their room start to dim.

"So, this is it…" one of the Cyber-Elves said, in a depressed tone. "Master Zero… he won't be able to pull through this. He failed… and we're all going to die, no thanks to him."

She glared at him, but it was obvious he didn't care, too busy with his incoming death to do so. "If he had just stopped being stubborn, and had allowed us to help him… if he had allowed our sacrifice to matter for him, instead of wasting his life in a lie… then we wouldn't be about to die right now! If we are all going to die, then it had better be by doing the things we do best, rather than by being trapped in this room forever!"

"S-shut up…" she tried to say, but words were failing her… and slowly, as Zero struggled to get up again, his energy coming so close to critical level, she realized what the whine that was coming from outside was. It wasn't the sound of Zero's weapons being charged… it was the sound of _Omega's_.

That attack… they had seen it before. Omega was going to fire two fully-charged plasma blasts from his busters, before using his own saber to fire off an energy wave… a wave that would undoubtedly slice Zero in half, given his current conditions. However… the fact that all these attacks were made of raw energy, unleashed upon Zero, stuck to her mind… and a plan began to be formed.

_'Can I really do it?'_ she thought, as she looked back and forth between the screen and the 'exit', biting her virtual lip. _'Can I possibly do this… even despite what I just told everyone, can I still do this?'_

However, the look in Omega's eyes, and the faint reflection as she saw he wasn't shooting yet, only to give Zero a semblance of hope, which was consuming him… that steeled her towards it. She jumped up, ready to fly outside… when she heard the same sound as before, of an approaching person… and she knew who it was, even with as much focus as she had.

"You… you're not really thinking of… are you?" he asked, rather nervously. Despite the fear she felt, she nodded and made to turn towards him, even with her haste. "But yet… how can you go outside?"

"Zero is… his systems are already under enough strain…" she confessed, fighting the urge to give up, "and he probably is trying to reroute enough energy to sustain himself. He may be unable to maintain the locks on our abilities… and much as he may have protected me, this time… I'm the only one who can protect him."

He looked at her, sadly. "You do know of your state, right? If you use your powers now, then…" he asked, and she nodded.

"I know the risks… but I can't lose this chance. I want to protect Zero no matter what… and this is the only chance!" she told him, only to see him nod as well.

"Very well. Then I'll go with you," he said, in a resigned tone. To her look of surprise, he continued. "I am a Hacker Elf, still. If anyone can help you get there, I suppose that should be me. My abilities ought to guarantee your success…"

"…thanks," she whispered, only loud enough for him to listen, before turning around again. "Then… let's go, Kynite…" With that, the two of them flew away, ignoring the others… like they had been doing before. When one of the Cyber-Elves tried to follow them, however, Balette dashed in front of them, pushing them all away.

"What the-Balette, let us through! We must help master Zero, as well!" one of the ninja Cyber-Elves spoke, readying his weapon. However, the leopard Cyber-Elf stood there, not allowing them access.

"I don't suppose you understand why he allowed her to go through, regardless of everything else, do you?" he asked, watching them for an answer. One of the other Nurse Elves, a small female with a golden outfit and hair, holding an energy capsule on her small hands, decided to talk then.

"She wants to help Zero at the cost of her life, but that isn't different of what we do… but she said before that we should be glad that she doesn't have to 'waste her life' in her role. Isn't that… strange?" she asked, in a shy voice. Balette smiled.

"Indeed… for every other Cyber-Elf, that would be strange… but not for one who, like her, would only die in pain." His response surprised the group, and he glanced at the parting two. "Her role… is to serve as a protector. If master Zero was to take damage, she would have to bear the brunt of it, suffering while he took no damage, and giving him health from the damage she took. I can see why she would be afraid… after all, unlike us, her existence will always end in pain."

"That…" the gold Nurse Elf whispered, looking back at the disappearing traces of the now-gone Cyber-Elves. "That means she is actually going to die… even though she is afraid of it?" The nod she received in response probably would have muted her, otherwise… but she couldn't stop speaking now. "She's… very brave."

"Brave?" one of the other Cyber-Elves asked, and she saw it was a small Metool-shaped Cyber-Elf, with a different face, however. A few of the other Cyber-Elves seemed to understand her, at least, even if the others shared the same feelings as this one.

Still, she simply nodded. "Yes… I think she's brave, in doing that. After all… her reason is the strongest out of all of them."

While the Cyber-Elves continued their discussion, Zero was finally standing up, wincing from the pain. He didn't want to, but it had been too strong an emotion… and even now, as he tried to take a stance, he could see the murderously hateful eyes of Omega looking right at his core, savoring the suffering he was going through. Having just now recovered his grip on the Z-Saber, he was steeling himself for his own attack, ready to dodge the moment Omega attacked… that is, if his dash systems were still working; the lucky hits he had taken were a toll on his body… he didn't want to try his luck further with anything the bastard clone could ruin.

Still… he knew he couldn't lose here, he wasn't afraid of fighting to the death against any enemies he had to face… but for the first time in what possibly was a while, Zero couldn't think of a way out of this situation. He had faced dangerous enemies, had fought and defeated one of the most dangerous Mavericks in the past several times, and had been on the brink of death as many times as well… but he was trapped; he couldn't move out of the way fast enough so that all hits would miss, Omega would shoot faster than he could if he even tried to pull his Z-Buster away, and jumping was out of the question; the two shots were always fired in a pattern that led into a trap, so if he tried to jump over them he'd be unable to dodge the last one…

Eventually, however, the bastard Reploid from Hell grew tired of this game of waiting… and the murderous smile he bore became even more wicked, if that was possible. "Zero… _DIE!_" he cried out, before the first shot was released.

At that moment, he felt a burst of energy coming from his body, before a Cyber-Elf materialized… a small, blue-clad female Elf, with a red symbol protected by a yellow marker. Two green wings sprouted from her back, and under her blue nurse hat with a red cross and a yellow rim, bits of blue hair were revealed. Covering each ear was a small yellow antenna, and from underneath them, a stethoscope was lying against her body.

Her emotion was quite serene, as she looked at him, giving a small smile… but then, she turned towards Omega, a green glow surrounding her body. The first attack collided against her with strength, pushing her backwards, but she resisted, and even turned the entire blast into energy for her consumption… a fact that indicated her body wasn't just fully material, now… but that she had also activated her powers.

Zero was surprised at seeing that; he hadn't expected any Cyber-Elf to be using their abilities, since he hadn't given any command for it. Checking his systems, he noticed a message indicating that 'Mialla' had been activated… but he hadn't! He didn't understand how that was possible… but enough was enough; he couldn't let that continue!

"No… don't do this! You don't have to!" he grunted, even though only half of it actually sounded reasonable; his processors were still strained, and he coughed up more fluid in the process, but it was obvious regardless that he didn't want her to sacrifice herself for him.

If his words were supposed to stop her, however, he failed miserably. Instead, she just flew forward again, trying to collide against the next shot that came shortly after, allowing the energy to make contact with her only to absorb it, but it was obvious she was feeling hurt and exhausted from it… every passing second seemed to make her body paler, and she was panting, something Cyber-Elves just didn't do.

"_DIE!_" Omega repeated, pulling out his own saber and doing a forward slicing motion, letting the hypercharged plasma blade energy loose in the shape of a slash aimed straight at them. Zero flinched, expecting the blade to just slice through her and proceed to damage him… but as the energy slash came closer to her, she just closed her eyes, nodded to herself, and faced the attack with a peaceful smile in her lips…

A second before being struck with the most damaging attack she could possibly imagine.

The scream she gave then was loud and painful… incredibly so. She lost any sense of self, as she felt an impossibly high amount of pain tearing her body in half and neatly sending every single inch of her existence into waves of horrible feelings… and yet, even through the spasms and writhings of pain, she still could feel life flowing through her body… which was all she needed, in fact.

Breathing uneasily, she turned towards Zero, opening her eyes slowly. Her smile came back to her, as she noticed he was unharmed… her plan had, indeed, worked out. Struggling to get up, she allowed her last tears to flow down her pinkish cheeks, while trying to approach the still weak Zero.

"Why?" he asked, though the tone he used was full of uncertainty. "Why did you do that? You didn't need to… I didn't order you to…"

As the light surrounding her body was becoming faint, Mialla took a deep breath, knowing she didn't have much of a choice. She couldn't tell him… but she could still save him. And, as it went… this was the best way to do so.

Her smile became sadder, as she looked into Zero's eyes one last time… and then, she flew right at him, the quiet sound of her crying mixing with the one of her wings and movements, and she hugged Zero, trying to transfer all her energy into him.

"I know I'm not the strongest, the best, or the most attractive…" she whispered, trying to speak to herself as she could, "and using my own abilities is much more painful than any of the others, which is why I don't want to… but even if I can't stay with you as I want, Zero, then I want to at least know I did something for you…"

Her hesitation was clear in her words, even if she doubted Zero was even listening to her… but despite that, she kept on crying, for the next few moments, all the while pouring her energy into his body, supplying him with the energy she had absorbed from Omega's attacks… and more.

"You…" he whispered, surprised at the actions the Cyber-Elf had taken… but it was the smile she was giving him that surprised him the most; he didn't understand why she acted like that… so, while Omega stared at them, in a mix between surprise and hatred, he just stared at her. That attitude was too different from other Cyber-Elves he had seen… she had disobeyed him in order to fulfill her duty, and yet that duty was much worse than the other Cyber-Elves'… because, while theirs did not necessarily depend on being harmed, hers was; she had taken the hits for him for a reason, he supposed… but the only reason there was had to be…

Eventually, the last bits of energy flowed from her body into his… and the pain didn't go down; instead, it continued, as the tip of her feet, protected by the blue jumpsuit, started to melt into pure, raw, and incomplete data... a process of decay that spread slowly over every inch of her body, cracks of light appearing over her skin as her colors were finally dissipating themselves. She struggled to maintain her grip onto Zero, for the very last instants… but if not for the fact that he held her tight, then, she would have released him and fallen.

Zero could only watch, barely noticing that his systems were once again at full power, and a confirmation that his dash systems were working fine… a mix between sorrow at an unnecessary loss and anger at the one who had been responsible for that, and who had been responsible for so much tragedy already…

Finally, she closed her eyes, with her last breath, before her face became bits of data and started to disappear, becoming nothing. Zero kept his gaze on that direction, for a moment, keeping the Cyber-Elf's appearance in his memory.

Then he looked at Omega, gripping his Z-Saber tighter, and dashed towards the bastard Reploid, decided to kill him at any cost. While he cried out a scream of hatred, Omega grinned maniacally again, and readied his own saber for the battle, intent in finishing Zero once and for all.

At the same time, inside of the Cyberspace room, Kynite slowly hovered back down, a rather depressed expression in his face. "So… she really did it," he whispered to himself, trying to not look at the screen anymore, despite the feeling he had.

_'How I wish I was a Fusion Elf…'_ he thought to himself, angrily, cursing his inability to join her. _'All because master Zero decided to change my ability, too… even if it isn't truly his fault, I can't stand this loss… not only she was one of the most interesting Cyber-Elves I ever met, but she also was the first one who I met, so long ago…'_

While, on the outside, the battle between the Crimson Demon and the Crimson Hunter progressed, with a clamor unequaled by the others, he allowed himself to burrow into his own feelings, ignoring everyone else.


End file.
